Cable or wire tie devices are generally known in the art, and typically comprise an elongated molded plastic strap having a head or locking end and an opposite, tail or free end. The free end of the elongated strap is for sliding through an opening in the head end, with a pawl arrangement for engaging a succession of serrated teeth formed along the length of the free end of the strap to accommodate unidirectional engagement which prevents strap withdrawal through the head end opening. With this construction, the free end of the strap can be wrapped about one or more elongated components such as a plurality of conductive wires, tubes or the like, and then drawn through the head end opening for securely retaining the components.
It is known in the prior art to provide installation tools for cable or wire tie devices. These tools assist in feeding the free end of a cable tie through its associated head or locking end and cinch the closed loop cable tie around the desired bundle, object or the like. For an example of a typical prior art installation tool see U.S. Pat. No. 6,497,258. Some of the problems associated with existing installation tools are that they are large, complex in construction, not portable, and expensive to manufacture. Most of these installation tools are motor-driven and thus are not made for manual use Also, these existing installation tools are not readily adapted for use in the field. Moreover, there is a need in the art to provide an installation tool for use in space-restricted areas. This would be particularly advantageous where using both hands to fasten the cable or wire tie device is not feasible.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved wire or cable tie installation apparatus that is relatively simple in construction, is readily usable in the field, and is meant for manual use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable wire tie securing device that is small in size and can be readily used in a hand-held manner.